RE: The IFC and Lessons Learned

The document argues that the IFC's 'lessons learned' process is insufficient because it ignores institutional culture, fails to address the systemic miscategorisation of project risks, and lacks a formal implementation and monitoring framework. While acknowledging some positive steps, the authors highlight ongoing failures in projects across Honduras, Burma, Indonesia, and Nicaragua, and call for a time-bound plan to integrate human rights assessments and poverty reduction goals into IFC operations.

• The IFC's 'lessons learned' document contains critical omissions regarding institutional culture and incentives, where staff feel pressured to "get money out the door" and prioritize loan volume over development objectives.
• There is a systemic issue with the miscategorisation of risk, where projects are assigned lower risk levels to meet volume targets, as seen in the Dinant case and current proposals for Banco Davivienda in Honduras and Yoma Bank in Burma.
• The IFC has failed to integrate human rights into its due diligence and risk management, particularly in fragile or conflict-affected states, and has not committed to human rights impact assessments.
• The authors argue that the IFC suffers from "institutional amnesia," repeatedly failing to implement lessons identified decades ago regarding country governance and community monitoring.
• The IFC's approach to sustainable development is criticized for not placing people at the center, often citing job creation that is seasonal or poorly paid, which does not compensate for the loss of land and livelihoods in agribusiness projects.
• The coalition welcomes certain positive steps in the IFC's paper, such as the creation of a 'High Risk' list, a Guidance Note on Land, and the recognition that weak regulatory implementation in host countries can hinder compliance.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2014). RE: The IFC and Lessons Learned. https://www.ciel.org/Publications/IFC_LessonsLearned_13Jun2014.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. RE: The IFC and Lessons Learned. 2014. https://www.ciel.org/Publications/IFC_LessonsLearned_13Jun2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=RE: The IFC and Lessons Learned |date=13 June 2014 |url=https://www.ciel.org/Publications/IFC_LessonsLearned_13Jun2014.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2014ifc, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{RE: The IFC and Lessons Learned}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2014}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ciel.org/Publications/IFC_LessonsLearned_13Jun2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }